Brian Fitzsimmons

The whole WNBA experience needs to be rethought before the league loses its newly found embracement. #sportsjournalism #sportsnews #sportsmedia #sportsmanagement #sportsbiz #sports #sportsevents #sportsentertainment #sportsbusiness #sportsindustry  #sportsmarketing #sportsfan #business #sportbusiness #sport #sportmanagement

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ESPN Bet-operator PENN Entertainment, Inc is struggling to parlay its branding partnership with the self-proclaimed "Worldwide Leader in Sports" into profits. Sports bettors flocked to ESPN Bet when it launched six months ago today in mid-November. The sportsbook made up 8.1% of the market in its first month, which easily exceeded expectations. That early momentum has evaporated. ESPN Bet's market share in online-sports betting in March was 3.7%, which was actually up from a ghastly 2.5% in January, according to Bank of America. Just how much trouble is ESPN Bet in? Penn CEO Jay Snowden may have already shared the answer: "We're not doing this deal to be 4% or 5% market share players," Snowden said on the company's earnings call last August. "That's not going to be acceptable for us. It's not going to be acceptable for ESPN. And so you should assume if those are the ranges you're in, that's not going to work out long term." Check out my full story for Business Insider here: https://lnkd.in/eU8Ar7Hs

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Interesting details coming out for the NBA package A, B and C media partners… all this will lead to superstar players earning $60m, $70m and $80m per year on their super max contracts! Check out the article

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The cutthroat power struggle within US Soccer is plunging the sport into a downward spiral, with MLS at the forefront of the controversy. Accusations of MLS deliberately sabotaging the USL in a bid to cling onto its dominance are rife, exposing a desperate grasp for power. This calculated move by MLS comes as no surprise, considering its ongoing assault on the USL's modest strides in lower league soccer. The recent demise of USL San Diego serves as a grim reminder of the ruthless tactics employed by MLS to crush any potential competition. Such ruthless maneuvers not only stifle the growth of the sport but also erode the very essence of healthy competition that soccer thrives on. Instead of nurturing an environment of fair play and rivalry, MLS's actions reek of a monopolistic agenda aimed at controlling markets, ultimately tarnishing the integrity of the beautiful game. https://lnkd.in/eEmjB5db

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🚀 YouTube still doesn't get the credit they deserve for shaping sports fandom within the sports industry, and with the consumption and success of the platform continuing to surge, leaving its competitors behind, it's time for sports to make the platform a priority and not an afterthought. 📈 In the latest episode of #StreamTimeSports, we dive into YouTube’s evolving sports strategy, its impactful first season with NFL Sunday Ticket, and how Primetime Channels is positioning the platform to become a future powerhouse in sports media. 🏈📺 During #SPNY24, I also had the pleasure of speaking with Jon Cruz, YouTube's Global Head of Sports Partnerships, about their ambitious growth plans and what’s next for the Google-owned giant. Some great insights from Jon around the role creators are playing with top tier sports and sports rights, including the LiveMode/ Casemiro/ FIFA case study in Brazil. Take a listen by clicking below! #YouTube #SportsStreaming #NFL #SportsBusiness https://lnkd.in/eZZJSzj3

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Roger Goodell continues to try and push for expanding the NFL schedule from 17 to 18 games. It's not surprising he continues to push on this given the potential boosts to league revenue. But, the players have a pretty significant bit of leverage for the next five years. As former agent Joel Corry noted on X, Article 31 of the CBA specifically states that, "The League and/or Clubs shall not increase the number of regular season games per Club to eighteen (18) or more games." The league would have to engage the players in a negotiation to make a change. Side agreements can be negotiated during the term of the CBA (which expires in 2030), but the owners cannot unilaterally impose the schedule change. How much are the owners willing to give up to get the extra game, and what would the players want? If I'm the players, maybe I start with no more franchise (and transition) tag, no more 5th year rookie option, and 3 years needed for free agency instead of 4. Or maybe simply demand a larger percentage of the overall revenue pot. There's a lot of ways to go if the players are willing to put up a fight. #sportsbusiness #nflcba #sportslabor #nflschedule https://lnkd.in/efAt29nR

Once again, the PGA Championship did not disappoint! Nearly 5 million viewers tuned into final round coverage on CBS, which came down to the very last putt. Over the course of the tournament, the Nielsen Sports team worked with the PGA of America to help maximize exposure for its sponsors. We analyzed 27 footage hours of brand exposure in real time, enabling the PGA to optimize signage locations and deliver more value to its sponsors. Primary drivers of on-screen brand exposure were Grandstand signage (24%), Tee Billboard (23%), Presentation backdrop (22%) and Tee Fence (18%). Through 3 rounds (round 4 data pending), time on screen for PGA sponsors was up +157% versus the first 3 rounds of 2023. Shout-out to our friends at the PGA of America for investing in data and insights to support their client relationships! #sportsbiz #Nielsen #data #insights #partnerships

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A lot going on in the sports media landscape lately. While NBA media rights negotiations have dominated headlines, I want to turn attention to the promising developments in spring football, particularly with the United Football League (UFL). Although I'm not deeply familiar with the UFL, the merger of the USFL and XFL into one entity seems to be a significant step towards establishing a viable market for spring football. This season, the UFL averaged 816,000 viewers per game, showing robust growth compared to the individual performances of the previous leagues. This improvement is significant, considering the previous iteration of the XFL showed promising starts but unfortunately became a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new UFL's enhanced viewership numbers, particularly its presence on major broadcast networks like Fox, ABC, and ESPN, suggest a solid foundation that could ensure its sustainability. I also commend the UFL’s focus on enhancing the viewer experience through innovative broadcasting techniques and a commitment to transparent officiating. These efforts seem to have resonated well with audiences, offering lessons that could be valuable for other sports leagues considering similar innovations. I’m keen to hear your thoughts on the potential for spring football to maintain its momentum. How do you think the UFL and similar leagues can continue to engage audiences in a sports calendar that is already quite crowded?

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This agreement will be interesting to follow. Presently, Bally’s is the name on those Diamond RSNs through the end of the 2024 MLB season. So, would these networks now be something to the tune of “FanDuel Sports Northeast,” as an example? That said, Bally’s had betting ties to baseball and even had an agreement on Minor League Baseball with their “Ballys Live” app; I would be interested to see if this partnership with Diamond and FanDuel pushes the envelope further on betting integrations, particularly on how games are consumed. For example, if eligible, meaning of age and otherwise fit, patrons can seamlessly navigate towards placing wagers via that same app. Since I’m talking about this impact on baseball, I must mention that Diamond Sports has distribution rights for twelve MLB teams. That number may drop down to nine at the end of this season if nothing else drastically changes. Notably, they stopped broadcasting both the Diamondbacks and the Padres in 2023 when MLB took those rights back, and in 2024, MLB took over the broadcast rights for the Rockies. It’s also worth pointing out that Diamond Sports Group and MLB have been hashing this during a fourteen-month bankruptcy proceeding, which, following a few extensions, those bankruptcy hearings are set to play out on July 30th. I will be staying tuned to all the items above.

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In Pennsylvania, sports betting numbers softened in May as expected, but the overall upward trend continues. May handle of $591.6 million was up nearly 20% over May of 2023. Other notable numbers from PlayPennsylvania.com's Corey Sharp: • The state's sportsbooks surpassed $30 billion in lifetime handle in May. • Fanatics Sportsbook has yet to make much of an impact in the market. • ESPN BET Sportsbook lost even more market share in PA in May. #pennsylvania #sportsbetting #sportsbook #sportsbook #onlinegambling #gamblingindustry #may #handle #reveue #gambling

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NBC Sports Next has announced a multi-year partnership with Pennsylvania-based Stronger Youth Brands, a youth sports and enrichment brand platform. SYB will utilize features offered by NBC Sports Next’s SportsEngine Motion technology platform. The initial phase of the partnership will focus on Soccer Shots, which currently enrolls more than 600,000 children, ages 2-8, throughout franchises in 43 states and two Canadian provinces. Related Stories NBC Sports Next Partners with Stronger Youth Brands Unrivaled Sports Acquires Under the Lights Powered by Under Armour Play Hockey Partners with Team IP Unrivaled Sports Acquires YTH Sports Perfect Game Adds 21 Former MLB Players to Investment Group Soccer Shots, started in 2005, introduces sports to kids through an age-appropriate soccer curriculum. Its programs are operated by coaches and available through childcare centers, pre-schools, primary schools and public programming. The partnership will expand later in 2024 to also include Little Kickers, an international SYB brand that operates more than 250 franchises around the world. This is NBC Sport Next’s second partnership with a soccer brand, as US Youth Soccer began using the SportsEngine technology in March 2023. “We’re excited to begin our new partnership with Stronger Youth Brands, which is helping enrich the lives of young children and their families across North America through their trusted and engaging soccer programming,” said Brett MacKinnon, senior vice president and general manager of youth and recreational sports, NBC Sports Next. “Every Soccer Shots franchise will simplify the management of their business by using our versatile SportsEngine Motion technology, helping them to focus on what matters most, coaching kids and creating a rewarding experience.” SportsEngine serves more than 30,000 small and medium-sized youth sports organizations, tournaments, the USOPC and Governing Body community, amateur and professional sports leagues. Soccer Shots plans to utilize the platform’s cloud-based features, including registration and automatic billing, while providing customer experience with a mobile app designed for families and administrators. “After a robust search, we are thrilled to have partnered with NBC Sports Next as we continue on our path to providing premier youth enrichment opportunities to children and families around the globe,” said Kevin Stumpf, president of Stronger Youth Brands. “We are confident that with the SportsEngine Motion technology as part of our enterprise tool kit, we will simplify not only the day-to-day tasks for our franchise partners but also for our team members and the families we serve.” https://lnkd.in/eDWTSgdy

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Read more about Game Plan & BridgeAthletic coming together at Sportico

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In the game of sports narratives, former athletes can spark wildfires. How can fans and media see beyond the smoke? Sportspersons should hold themselves accountable for the stories they tell. Diving into the complexities of sports narratives and player dynamics – check out this insightful read! https://lnkd.in/gFm3X3G7

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Sports is big business. And it's becoming bigger. Here are a few reasons why: • Tech companies such as Amazon and YouTube driving up the price of broadcasting • Exploding media rights, loyal fans, and advertisers who want to reach them • The rise of sports betting • The inherent and scarce value of live entertainment Since the MLB opened its doors to institutional investment in 2019, all the major leagues except the NFL have followed suit. Since then, private-equity firms have poured $54.6 billion into sports, according to PitchBook data. Two-thirds of the MLB and NBA teams now have private-equity backing, according to PitchBook. Here are some of the biggest private equity players in the space according to Business Insider: • Apollo Global Management, Inc. • Arctos • Ares Management Corporation • Blackstone • Bluestone Equity Partners • The Carlyle Group • Clearlake Capital Group • CVC Capital Partners • Blue Owl Capital • Dynasty Equity • EQT Group • GMF CAPITAL • KKR • MSP Sports Capital • Providence Equity Partners • The Raine Group • RedBird Capital Partners • Silver Lake • Sixth Street • TCG Investing in sports is a long-term game, but shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. #privateequity #venturecapital #sportsbusiness https://lnkd.in/dYjAzD-m

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My big question of the week. Are you in favor or against your favorite sport league moving games from traditional broadcasts to streaming and why? Here is a great talk with Seth Ader from ESPN talking about the trends of the consumer that they see. I want to share my opinion, which is streaming is better for the fan. From the fans perspective, imagine cutting cable. Right now, either cable or streaming cable would be my (personal) biggest subscription I pay per month. Imagine the NFL moving exclusively to prime/netflix/paramount. The sole reason I have a cable streaming service is sports. And I already have prime/netflix/paramount because THAT is where the best non sports content lives. So tell me, what is your biggest hang up when it comes to moving to streaming?

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